1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to techniques for utilizing interactive television systems, and relates more particularly to a system and method for effectively implementing a personal channel for interactive television.
2. Description of the Background Art
Implementing effective methods for utilizing television systems is a significant consideration for designers and manufacturers of contemporary electronic entertainment systems. However, effectively implementing television systems may create substantial challenges for system designers. For example, enhanced demands for increased system functionality and performance may require more system processing power and require additional hardware resources. An increase in processing or hardware requirements may also result in a corresponding detrimental economic impact due to increased production costs and operational inefficiencies.
Furthermore, enhanced system capability to perform various advanced operations may provide additional benefits to a system user, but may also place increased demands on the control and management of various system components. For example, an enhanced electronic system that effectively supports interactive television may benefit from an efficient implementation because of the large amount and complexity of the digital data involved.
Due to growing demands on system resources and substantially increasing data magnitudes, it is apparent that developing new techniques for implementing and utilizing television systems is a matter of concern for related electronic technologies. Therefore, for all the foregoing reasons, developing effective systems for implementing and utilizing television systems remains a significant consideration for designers, manufacturers, and users of contemporary electronic entertainment systems.
In accordance with the present invention, a system and method are disclosed for effectively implementing a personal channel for interactive television. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a settop box may be directly coupled to a television device, and may also be indirectly coupled to one or more content databases through a distributed computer network such as the Internet. In certain embodiments, initially, a system user may activate a personal channel configuration procedure by communicating with a personal channel manager in the settop box by utilizing a wireless remote control device.
The system user may next preferably use any desired techniques to define one or more content categories for performing a content record search procedure to download designated content records. For example, in certain embodiments, the system user may utilize the wireless remote control device and a configuration GUI provided on the television device to perform the personal channel configuration procedure.
The system user may then preferably select appropriate search parameters for performing the foregoing content record search procedure by utilizing any effective means. For example, in certain embodiments, the personal channel manager may preferably provide available search parameters for the defined content categories on the configuration GUI. Next, the system user may preferably specify a maximum number of content records per content category for the content record search procedure.
In certain embodiments, the system user may then preferably specify a date/time range per content category for the content record search procedure. In addition, the system user may preferably specify designated content databases in each content category for the content record search procedure. The system user may also preferably specify a maximum total program duration for a personal channel program comprised of content records that are located during the content record search procedure. Finally, the system user may preferably specify a particular content record sequence or other sorting criteria for organizing the content records that are retrieved from content databases during the content record search procedure.
In certain embodiments, during utilization of the personal television channel, the system user may initially activate a personal channel mode in the settop box by utilizing the wireless remote control device or any other appropriate means. A search module from the personal channel manager may then preferably perform the content record search procedure by searching one or more specified content databases to locate designated content records. The search module may also preferably flag the designated content records when they are located by setting a corresponding download flag in each of the located content records.
The search module may then coordinate operations with respective database servers of the specified content databases to access and download the designated content records. Next, a content packaging module from the personal channel manager may preferably perform a content record sorting procedure by utilizing any appropriate techniques to thereby produce a corresponding personal channel program. For example, the content packaging module may sort downloaded content records in accordance with various sorting criteria that may be specified during the foregoing personal channel configuration procedure. Finally, the system user may preferably view the personal channel program on the television device.
In addition to the foregoing embodiment, the personal television channel may operate in an off-line mode during which the search module may preferably previously perform the content record search procedure at a particular designated time (or may perform the content record search procedure at pre-determined intervals). The content packaging module may then preferably perform the content record sorting procedure in advance, so that the personal channel program is ready for viewing as soon as the system user activates the personal channel mode.
The present invention thus provides an effective methodology for flexibly providing interactive television programming that includes content information which is advantageously directed to specific system user interests. The present invention therefore provides an improved a system and method for effectively implementing a personal channel for interactive television.